Conveners and Organisers of the event:
Johan Botha/Thomas du Toit

Opening Address:
Johan Botha:
The main objective of the conference is to establish a network of expertise and to use the conference as a platform to expose water related problems experienced throughout the country.

James Harris:

Olifants/Loskop Dam catchment-area

Abandoned coal mines, Coal Tailings, underground coal fires, non-functional municipal sewerage works all contribute towards a disastrous pollution problem for the Olifants River and its tributaries.
Life expectancy for the area has reduced to 46.5 years. HIV/Aids compounded by pollutants are the main cause of the reduction in life expectancy.
The economy of the area is mainly agriculture and export driven. Pollutants in the water severely affect the crop yield and quality. The area faces an ecological disaster. Tons of fish, turtles and crocodiles have already died.
Heavy metals associated with Acid Mine Drainage is the cause of many illnesses and deaths.
A project has been initiated to address the problem. Funds for the project comes mainly from the affected parties associated and dependant on the irrigation system.

Dr Paul Oberholster.

Head of the Scientific Research Team investigating the Olifants/Loskop Pollution problem.

The cocktail of pollutants emanating from mines, industry, agriculture, households and sewerage are so complex that it is virtually impossible to draw scientific conclusions on their effects on the ecosystem.
This investigation aims to evaluate
All trophic levels and its impact on all species in the system.
Various indicators will be used in the investigation such as:
Chemical; species specific-biological; Genetics/Biological; Environmental Health and Ecosystem Health indicators, Isotope tracers to determine the pollution source.
Costs for such an evaluation can run up to R200 000 for one single sampling exercise.

Marietta Lieferlink

Activist and lobbyist for the clean up of Acid Mine Drainage in the Eastern, Central And Western Transvaal Basins.

Acid Mine Drainage has been defined as potentially the biggest ecological disaster after Global Warming. The effects are everlasting and affect all species of life.
Three distinct mined-out basins, in volume several times the size of lake Kariba are filling up with acid water with a pH of approximately 2. The Western Basin is already decanting into the Tweelopie and Wonderboom Spruits. The Tweelopiespruit is classified as a class 5 polluted stream. An unqualified volume from this source is draining towards the Wonderboom Spruit with the potential to destroy the Sterkfontein Caves.
If left unattended, the Central and Eastern Basins will start decanting within two years. The decanting areas are situated on a watershed and have the potential to ecologically destroy the Vaal & Limpopo River systems.
Sulphates, Radioactive material, Heavy Metals and the Acid Water are the contaminants with the potential to destroy all life. The Robinson Lake is an example where Acid Mine Water was allowed to flow in. The lake was changed from a pristine aquatic ecosystem to a lake devoid of any life and declared radioactive.
An Environmental Impact Assessment is currently being undertaken for a proposed project to establish a Water Treatment Facility in the Central Basin area. The objective will be to pump water from the Eastern and Western Basins into the Central Basin, using existing shafts. Water from the Central Basin will be pumped to the Treatment Facility where it will be purified and sold to Rand Water Board for domestic consumption.
Currently the mines cannot obtain closure certificates before addressing the AMD problem.

Dr Anthony Turton

Addressing the Proposed Clarification Treatment Facility for the Acid Mine Water in the Witwatersrand basins.

If left unattended, the decant from the mines has the potential to destroy the Vaal/Orange river irrigation systems as well as the systems associated with the Crocodile River to the North.
Government did not understand the problem and passed it back to the Mining Companies, as they were the creators of the problem. The mines came up with a solution to purify the Acid Water and sell it back to the consumer. The Polluter Must Pay principle has been neatly externalised.
No process can guarantee to remove 100% of the pollutants 100% of the time. Radioactive material and heavy metals will find their way into the potable water. EIA currently open for comments does not address the process, the principle or give the consumers an option. Comments can be given on the routes of the pipes and the location of the treatment facility. The potential for geophysical events is a reality and is not mentioned at all.

International Implications

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is pH driven and the composition is dependant on the specific Geology of the area. Example, the Witwatersrand AMD contains radioactive material compared to the Eastern Transvaal AMD.
Rivers crossing country borders are subject to International Treaties between Governments. In general these treaties are based on Fair and Equitable deals – invariably without defining the terms. In this regard, relationships between countries dictate the terms of such agreements. Important to note is that the appetite for confrontation between independent states are small. It is therefore unlikely to escalate South Africa’s water issues and the lack of guidance from Government to International Courts. NGO’s are probably the better route.
Events that may capture international attention are:
• Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC’s): It is a fact that children are being born bisexually in the Limpopo Province.
• Acid rain or AMD liberates Aluminium in the soil, which in turn affects maize growth and yield. The potential exists to undermine food security.
• Microcystin loads in SA dams are of the highest in the world.
The opportunity may present itself to use such occurrences in order to obtain funds for research.

Louis Meintjes

TAU’s mission is to keep the farmers on the land and to produce quality food at an affordable price
In order to achieve this mission three components are essential
• Quality and Sufficient Water
• Quality Soil
• Quality Farmers.
South Africa is an arid land – example, all the rivers in SA carries less than half of the Zambezi. Annual rainfall is 470 mm compared to 857 mm in the rest of the world. 80% of this rainfall precipitates within 5 months. SA uses 62% of water in Agriculture. The biggest part of this usage is lost due to evaporation.
Mining, especially in Mpumalanga is using quality soil for mining activities. Mining soil that has been rehabilitated gave crop yields of 1,4 t/ha compared to adjacent yields of 6,5t/ha
Water in Mpumalanga storage is no longer suitable for Escom’s power stations – this places additional demands on quality water. New power plants in Ellis Rust will derive water from the Hartebeestpoort Dam and the Crocodile River.
Dry land produced crops are no longer economically feasible. The foremost food producing agricultural component is derived from irrigation.
The pressures on good farm lands, quality and sufficient water as well as the reality of land claims and security on farms places an enormous risk on food security.
The biochemistry in soils is a complex interaction between microorganisms, chemistry, type of soil air and quality of water. Pollutants, especially heavy metals change the nature of the soil with disastrous consequences in crop yield and even total crop failure.
Many pesticides contain heavy metals, which may address one pest, but have serious impacts on other aspects in the agriculture.
Conclusion
• Environmental Impact Assessments tend to focus on an isolated area or proposed mine. Such impact studies must focus on total agricultural regions due to the sensitivity of agriculture to any form of pollution.
• Agriculture must be declared a National Security Asset.

Jim Thebaut

DVD – Running Dry.
A similar DVD on South Africa Running Dry is being considered. The project is a partnership between The Chronicles Group USA and The Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa.
Information can be obtained from:
www.runningdrysouthafrica.org.za and e-mail info@runningdrysouthafrica.co.za.
Project Office: WESSA House tel 011 4625663 fax 011 4628364.

Thomas du Toit

DVD – Cryptosporidium.

Johan Botha

The Road Ahead.

Time did not allow for a discussion and to define the Road Ahead. A meeting will be arranged in the near future for this purpose.

For an insight into my own work into heavy metals that was not allowed to happen, please see: My documents
It was this work that ended my career at the CSIR and not the keynote paper (which was used to camoflage the truth).
While I have you online, can I please send you the Water Utilities Corporation EIA for circulation via your network. Note that Mariette and I spoke to Freek Robinson last week and after that the public participation phase was extended until Tuesday 15 July. Please note that the EIA is about the positioning of pipes, and NOT about whether the 11 million consumers of Rand Water products are willing to be asked to pay for the cost of remediation of water that is radioactive and laced with heavy metals.
Please mobilize your network so they can know about this EIA and urge them to participate via the formal channel (Golder Associates Vanessa Viljoen vviljoen@golder.co.za) as only formal written submissions will be considered.
There are four issues that this EIA raises:
1) The polluter pays principle is being neatly bypassed because the consuming public is being asked to pick up the bill. The mining industry has a long history of externalizing their costs and this is another example (see Externalisation of Mining Costs)
2) 11 million consumers are being locked into a solution with no broad-based consultation so the public has no choice and will be forced to drink this effluent as part of the domestic water.
3) Seismicity is possible when large volumes of water are channeled through the Central Basin void from the Western Basin, but no allowance is being made for a study of the effect of seismicity. This potentially places land owners in Johannesburg at risk as buildings could be damaded by earth tremors and it is not clear if the insurance industry will cover this.
4) It is unclear if the technology being used will remove 100% of the readioactivity and heavy metals 100% of the time.

Please support the urgent South Africa Water Action Petition at The Petition Site

Question: Are you willing to drink treated mine effluent previously contaminated? with heavy metals, radioactivity and sulphates? that has been treated with a technology, not yet tested?

Question: Are you aware that an Environmental Impact Assessment is currently underway and will close on Tuesday 14 July 2009 after which a decision will be made to proceed or not to proceed with the project. If this continues it may impact on your health Are you aware that you can raise your concern in this regard?

The gold mining industry in South Africa is proposing a water treatment plant that will take mine water contaminated with heavy metals, radioactivity and sulphates, treat it and then sell it on to consumers as part of their environmental management planning to terminate their future liabilities. The public participation phase of the Environmental Impact Assessment is currently underway and will close on Tuesday 14 July 2009, after which a decision will be made to proceed or not to proceed with the project. It is vital that all members of the public in the Gauteng region of South Africa be made aware of this proposed project, because it may affect them directly after the water is delivered to their service provider for onward delivery as drinking water. Now is the time to become acquainted with the proposal in order that you can make an informed decision. Please consult the documentation and send your comments in writing to the Public Participation Practitioner listed therein. If you believe this is important then please pass it along to your friends and family.

Please read the following important supporting information and sign the petition – then inform your friends and family of this information and also get them to partake!

Information: More information

Information: South African Water Action

Petition: The Petition Site

South Africa Water Action

Environmental activists say the health of more than 11-million people in Gauteng is being threatened by massive transgressions by the Mafube Municipality which is doing nothing to stop the seepage of raw sewage and animal offcuts into the Vaal River.

The Vaal Dam supplies water to Gauteng and the surrounding provinces. Due to increasing demands from its supply area, which includes some of the largest industrial companies in SA, the water supply from the Vaal River has been supplemented with other sources, b ut the river remains the major supplier to the dam.

The sewage, in particular, causes a buildup of blue-green algae containing microcystins which are deadly, says water scientist and activist Prof Anthony Turton. “Some of SA’s dams contain some of the highest levels of microcystins (in the world), caused by sewage being pumped into the water supply,” he says.

“In Finland, they get excited if they find 10 micrograms of microcystins per litre in their water, and in the US, they are concerned if there are 60 micrograms per litre.

“In SA, the five largest dams have between 10000 and 16000 micrograms of microcystins per litre. The only way to filter these out of the water is by using an activated charcoal filter,” he says.

Turton says microcystins are “as poisonous as Rinkhals venom and also carcinogenic”.

Rand Water Board spokesperson Francois v an Wyk says at the moment the water supply from the Vaal is safe. He says the level of microcystins decreases during the cold winter months . He says that the board keeps a close watch on microcystin levels.

Municipalities which do not comply with court orders to stop pumping raw sewage into the Vaal Dam and Vaal River could now face criminal charges, says a member of the Blue Scorpions, Nigel Adams who this week was investigating the transgressions.

Adams says that a South African Police Service forensic team is collecting photographic evidence and scientific samples so that a fresh case can be bought against Mafube Municipality which includes Villiers, Frankfort, Cornelia and Tweeling .

The environmental group Save the Vaal Environment (SAVE) says despite court orders dating as far back as 2004, ordering the municipality to repair broken pipes at their sewerage and water purification works at Frankfort and Villiers, raw sewage is oozing out over ground that leads into the Vaal River.

Mafube councillor, Pieter van der Westhuizen of the Freedom Front Plus who is working with SAVE to clean up his constituency, says an initial court order in 2004 failed to get results. Neither had another one handed down in August last year.

“The council says it is short of funds, but it has recently bought a new car for the mayor, Louis Ntombela, as well as a new bus,” says Van der Westhuizen.

But Ntombela says the problem is a “broken pump” at the sewerage works and “the timing of getting one fixed so that there is still one working”.

“At first, I would say it was a problem of the finances, but the problem was solved some six months ago. The regular breaking down of the pump station was the problem.”

While the discharge of sewage into the dam is not necessarily “a deliberate act”, says Dirk Niesing of SafeTwise, an independent health and safety consultancy that SAVE has retained to investigate the matter, “it is due to negligence and poor maintenance of the sewerage works”.

In a report to the Villiers and Frankfort Crisis Committee headed up by Van der Westhuizen, Niesing wrote: “The South African Constitution and Municipal Systems Act requires of municipalities to provide the community with healthy and safe living conditions”.

The main transgressions listed by Niesing include a serious deterioration of the structures and equipment of the water purification plants and sewerage works at Frankfort and Villiers.

Both installations are responsible for raw sewage flowing into the Vaal River.

“In Villiers, water for the town is pumped from the Vaal River into which sewage is leaking from broken pipes,” Niesing’s report reads.

Last month SAVE won a court order to stop the Emfuleni M unicipality from spilling raw sewage into the Vaal River. Emfuleni includes Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark and other towns .

The spillage caused the death of 15 tons of fish, which had to be recovered from the river.

Van der Westhuizen says an abattoir in Frankfort is pumping animal blood and offcuts into its evaporation dam which in turn is seeping into the Vaal River.

This is confirmed by Adams, who says it was first noticed during an aerial survey.

“We saw a large area of red in the water. We are conducting tests to establish exactly what is causing this.”

“People in Gauteng are being threatened by massive transgressions by the Mafube Municipality which is doing nothing to stop the seepage of raw sewage and animal offcuts into the Vaal River”

Thomas du Toit 082 4196526        tom.savethevaal@gmail.com    Vaal Triangle    SAVE
Uitgebreide Netwerk en kontak-persone i/s besoedeling verwante aangeleenthede

Yolanda Duvenhage 082 495 0862         yolandad@vodamail.co.za    Groblersdal    DA    Hoofsweep Amptelike Opposisie    Olifantsrivier/Loskopdam projek

Carin Bosman 087 9402771    086 6935189    cbosman@global.co.za    Pretoria    CBSS        Riool & Waterbehandeling. Uitgebreide kennis oor Wetgewing; Staatsinstasies

Johan Botha 083-2752061        jo@penta-net.co.za    Bronkhorstspruit    BHS BV

Steve Kloppers 012 7341140    stevek@lantic.net    Cullinan    Cullinan BV    Sekretaris

Jaap Kelder 083 2089314    011 4554408    info@zanli.co.za    Kempton    NBU    Voorsitter

James Harris milnej@vodamail.co.za

Dr Pieter van Eeden 083 379 4419 pieter@envirocon.org.za